The good news is that the DualShock 4 also includes baked-in support for both Mac and PC gaming – and it’s a bit easier to set up than the PlayStation 3 controller (although it works with fewer games). Here’s how to get it set up and working over both USB and Bluetooth on your Mac! We tested this on OS X Mavericks, and found it is compatible with a fair number of games.

Option 1: USB

The easiest and most hassle-free way to use the DualShock 4 with your Mac is to simply plug in using a MicroUSB cable. The DS4 automatically works as a joystick in most Mac games over USB. This method requires no setup.

Option 2: Bluetooth

It’s also possible to set up the controller via Bluetooth – although it uses a different method than pairing a PlayStation 3 controller. Here are your full instructions, via Reddit(thanks to Patrick McCarron for the link!)

Open Bluetooth preferences on your Mac.

Put the DualShock 4 into Pairing mode by pressing and holding the PlayStation and Share buttons until the light bar blinks rapidly.

Wait for the Wireless Controller device to show up in Bluetooth (select Add Device in OS X Mountain Lion or earlier – shows up automatically in Mavericks).

Select “Wireless Device” and click Pair. The process will now complete automatically.

Note:Don’t forget to turn off the controller after your gaming session by holding down the Playstation button till the light bar shuts off.

UPDATE (12/16/2013): According to a tip received from MacTrast reader Tom Crown, backed up by a statement from Feral Games, you can now add DualShock 4 support to any and all of Feral’s official Mac games!

From the official email from Feral Games:

In order to use your Official Sony PS4 DualShock 4 controller, please follow the below steps:

Find your copy of your Feral Interactive game (usually in the Applications folder).

Open the “Contents” folder, then the “Resources” folder and finally “Input Devices”.

Drag the attached PS4Dualshock.plist file into the folder (you will be asked to Authenticate using your username and password, please do so).

Close the Finder window and restart the game with the pad plugged in. The game should now recognize the pad correctly.

UPDATE 2 (12/16/2013): Confirmed working in Tomb Raider Underworld – although we could NOT get this to work in LEGO Batman 2 and certain other titles. Also: This trick works in Mac App Store versions of the games, as well at the official Steam versions.

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.